With just a 4-6-1 record over the team’s last 11 games, the Los Angeles Kings were unable to hold on to the top spot in the Pacific Division down the stretch. However, despite slipping to second in the Pacific, the Kings are still favored to win the Western Conference.
NHL 2016 Western Conference playoff odds: Matchups and betting preview
The Los Angeles Kings are a small betting favorite over Chicago, Anaheim and Dallas to win the West heading into the NHL playoffs.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles is going off at +400 odds to win the West and +700 to win the Stanley Cup at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Kings will start their postseason against the San Jose Sharks (+800 to win the Western Conference) on Thursday night.
Each of San Jose’s last two playoff exits have come at the hands of the Kings, with each series between these two teams going seven games. Los Angeles became just the fourth team in NHL history to erase a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series in its 2014 win over the Sharks.
The Anaheim Ducks (+450 to win the West) were the beneficiaries of the Kings’ late-season struggles, capping off the regular season with a fourth straight Pacific Division title. Anaheim shook off a slow start to the season and went 27-7-4 over its final 38 games to earn this first-round matchup against the wild card Nashville Predators.
Nashville (+1200) is 2-5 SU over its last seven games overall and 3-9 SU in its last 12 games against the Ducks per the OddsShark NHL Database.
In the Central Division, the Dallas Stars (+450) edged out the St. Louis Blues for the best record in the Western Conference at 50-23-9. Dallas went 9-2 over its last 11 games despite being without one of its best players in Tyler Seguin.
The Stars are a heavy favorite in their first-round matchup against the Minnesota Wild (+1400), who ended the season on an 0-5 skid.
The St. Louis Blues (+500) host the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday in Game 1 of what looks to be the most even matchup of the first round. St. Louis has been one of the best regular season teams in the NHL over the last four years, but that hasn’t translated to playoff success with three straight first-round exits.
The Blackhawks (+450) went just 11-10-5 SU over their last 26 games, but with some injured players returning, Chicago could once again be a major threat on the odds to win the Stanley Cup.
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